Terret.



Patented Dec. 3|, I90l. F. H. EILERS.

m. BQWBZI.

TERRET.

(Application filed Aug. 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

TO-UTNQ, WASHINGTON n c llrrnp dramas Tartar FFlCEt FERRET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 690,021, datedDecember 31, 1901.

Application filed August 19, 1901. Serial No. 72,521. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. EILERS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Terrets; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in Saddlery, and particularly tothe terret or ring which is attached to the pad or saddle and hames ofharness, through which the driving-reins pass.

Its object is to provide a means of readily inserting the reins into theterret and of detaching them therefrom without the necessity of passingthe ends of the reins therethrough.

It consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of partswhich I will hereinafter describe and claim.

The figure is a view of my terret, parts of it shown in section.

A represents a terret having an opening or radial slot 2 in itsperiphery, adapted to pass a line readily through it. The base of theterret is suitably adapted, as by means of a screw-thread, to be securedin a socket in the pad or saddle. The opening 2 may be said to dividethe terret into two members, which may be designated by a. The adjacentends of these members are each provided with a socket or casing 3, inwhich a ball 4 is retained. Seating in a bore in the base of each ofthese sockets and extending a short distance into the members a is asmall helical spring 5, which bears also against the ball and pressesthe latter outward and against its neighbor, so ofiering peripheralprojections beyond the sockets to close the opening 2. The diameter ofthe balls is a little greater than the width of this opening, after theparts are assembled, so that the balls are prevented from falling out.The socketchambers are made cone-shaped,so as to allow the balls to bepushed entirely within said chambers and give sufficient room for a reinto pass. These sockets are given a pitch outward, as shown, so thatwhile the curve of the inner periphery of the terret members a iscontinuous the point of contact of the balls is above the linerepresenting the curved axis of the members a. The balls are thusnormally supported against the upper walls of the sockets. Accordingly aless pressure downwardly or inwardly is necessary to sep arate theballs, as when the reins are inserted into the terret, than is requiredoutwardly to spread the balls, as when it is desired to remove thereins. The lower edges 6 of the sockets are divergently inclined orbeveled, so that the plane of each beveled face is approximatelytangential to its correspond ing ball. Thus a rein cannot beunintentionally released from the terret, for a rein in sliding aroundeither of the members a will always strike the opposite member below theline of contact of the balls, and so will easily pass over the opening.A rein can only be removed from the terret when presented with its edgedirectly between the balls. The amount of pressure in either direction,however, necessary to be used to part the balls must be very slight, soas not to mar or mark the leather. Accordingly the springs 5 are verylight indeed. The pitch of the coneshaped sockets and the bevel of theedges 6 are chiefly relied upon for the retention of the reins withinthe terret. The reins may be in the hands of the driver upon the box,-and it is but the work of an instant to engage or disengage the reinsfrom the terrets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. A terret having a portion of itsperiph cry cut away and provided with sockets said sockets being given apitch outward, and balls in said sockets, and means by which said ballsmay be made to contact with each other to close said opening.

2. A terret divided at one side to form a radial opening and the ends ofthe divided portion enlarged and formed with sockets which are given apitch outward said sockets having their lower edges beveled, balls insaid sockets, and springs by which said balls are made to ofierprojections beyond said sockets and close the opening.

3. A terret having a radial opening in its periphery and the opposingends of the terret enlarged and provided with sockets said sockets beinggiven a pitch outward, spherical projections retained within saidsockets, and springs by which said projections are made to contact witheach other to close said opentheir lower edges inclined orbeveledwhereby the plane of each beveled face is approximatelytangential to its corresponding ball, substantially as and for thepurpose deing, said sockets having their edges beveled inwardly anddivergently whereby the plane of each beveled face is tangential to itscorresponding ball and the reins are held against scribed.

accidental release. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my 4. Aterret having a radial slot in its pehand.

riphery, sockets in the Walls of the slot and balls in said sockets andadapted normally to FREDERICK EILERS' project into said slot, and havinga diameter Witnesses:

slightly greater than said slot, and springs acting against the balls,said sockets having S. H. NOURSE, JESSIE O. BRODIE.

